Unlikely Allies
by jackyyy17
Summary: Mara and Callista are forces to work together to find Luke.


**Unlikely Allies**

by: jackyyy17

Summary: Mara and Callista are forced to work together to find Luke.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

* * *

She couldn't believe it. She had to rescue Luke, again! How he always managed to get himself into such situations was still a mystery to Mara Jade, but somehow he always ended up needing help, and a bacta tank. Still, she had always come to his aid. It had almost become a guessing game to Mara. What force-forsaken planet would he end up on next and what and how would she get him out? It also gave her a chance to visit with the Jedi Master, even if it was just finding him unconscious, and watching him float around in bacta through the translucent, polyethylene bacta tank. At least he couldn't bug her about training then. All in all, Mara actually enjoyed getting Luke out of his predicaments. 

Well, all but this time.

This time Luke had gone to Chad to investigate something or another. Leia hadn't been quite clear on why her brother had suddenly gone missing, but she promised that Mara would be safe. She should have known then, that she should have not agreed to find Luke, but did she? No! But that wasn't the worst part about it. It got worse, much worse.

Apparently, everyone on Chad, and their kin on clan mate, knew that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was MIA. Everybody, including Callista Ming. And for some reason beyond which Mara even wanted to know, Callista had decided she was going to tag along, and 'help' her find Luke.

This day just couldn't get any worse. The two women had been enemies from the first day Mara had met her, all those years ago on Yavin 4, to Luke's dismay. Mara knew she was trouble, but sadly, Luke bought into her ploy, and what happened to him? She left him, and Mara was forced to pick up the pieces of his heart. She knew that body snatcher was no good.

But here they were, and Mara was forced to work with her. For one reason, Callista was the more experienced one when it came to navigating Chad, which would mean getting to Luke faster. Mara knew when to swallow her pride, even if it was a bitter bile.

"Mara, are you coming?" Callista asked, as she made her way over to a rocky enclave that overlooked one of Chad's oceans.

Mara shook herself out of her private musings, and reluctantly followed the woman. "And what exactly makes you think we'll find Luke here?"

The malt-haired woman glanced at Mara. Well it's as good a place to start as any. I just figured that Luke likes water, maybe he would come here. It is one of the nicest, secluded places on the planet. There are caves all along the cliffs side."

"Oh, forgive me. I never knew Luke liked water." Mara rolled her jade-green eyes. "I'll make a note of it."

"Mara …" Callista sounded exasperated, but Mara wasn't about to let her finish. She pushed past her, and headed to the edge of the overlook.

Mara grinned in satisfaction when the other woman had to run to catch up.

"So, what do we do now?" Mara asked when she got to the edge. "We're not going to jump in and have a little swim with the fishies?"

"Actually, I was thinking we'd do a little rock climbing to get to the caves, if you think you can handle it."

"Ha, I'd be more worried about you plummeting to a gruesome death on the jagged rocks below." Mara dug through her carryall for her climbing hooks and rope, and started to set it up.

"I didn't realize you cared," Callista answered dryly. She started to climb down the side, leaving Mara up top. "Are you coming, or what?"

Mara didn't answer. She just continued her set up.

"I figure someone as 'trained' as you, wouldn't need the help of climbing tools." Callista mocked.

"Yeah, well I just fingered that I'd like to be alive tomorrow. You know, some of us do have reasons to live." Mara started to climb down the rock, after Callista. "But then you wouldn't know that would you, given that the only good thing you had is no longer yours."

For a brief moment, the two women stared eye to eye. There was a flicker of anger in Callista's eyes, but she quickly hid it, and started down the mountain, again.

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They climbed in silence. The only sound was the crashing of the waves against the rocks below, mixed with the occasional crumbling of loose and falling rocks. To Mara, the silence had never sounded so nice.

"Why don't you like me?"

The question startled Mara. "Isn't it obvious?" When she didn't say anything, Mara continued, "Well, lets see, you're a body snatcher, you cheated death, you value the Force more than you do anything else, you hurt Luke… You can stop me at any time."

"Okay, but why do 'You' hate me?" Mara started to say something, but Callista didn't let her. "I think the reason you don't like me is because you were jealous that Luke found a new love and it wasn't you."

"Look…"

"No, let me finish, Mara. I broke Luke's heart. That has nothing to do with you."

"You obliviously wouldn't have felt it because you don't have the Force, anymore." Mara spat. "But Luke's agony registered in the Force for many months after that, and frankly, it kept me up at night."

"That's another thing. I was a Jedi Knight in the Old Republic, and this bond that the two of you have is very unusual. It's almost like if you were meant to be together, that you were destin-"

"Look, even if I did have a thing for him, he would…"

"Mara, he loves you too, believe me. Why do you think I left him?"

"Duh, because you love the Force more than…"

"No. It was because I could never be the most important thing in his life. Somehow, unconsciously, he fell for you, and he didn't even know it. Probably still doesn't. And I believe you love him too. That's the reason I decided to help. He deserves to be happy, and if it's with you, than so be it."

Mara was speechless. What could she possibly say?

They finished the rest of the climb in silence.

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"So, you never turned to the darkside?"

"I don't think so. I think Ol' Yellow Eyes had more important thing on his mind then to worry about whether I was dark or not. I did my job, and I tried my best to be loyal to him. That's all that mattered to him." Mara let out a little laugh. "I was just another replaceable soldier to him, and I was stupid enough not to even recognize it."

"I met Palpatine once, you know. Before he became Emperor."

"Oh?" Mara asked. Ever since they made it to the cave, the two women had been on much better terms. Mara found she was actually enjoying the conversation, but if anyone asked, she'd deny it.

"Yeah. Honestly, I never liked him."

Mara laughed. "I can't say many did."

They rounded the next corner, dodging a stalactite, when the cave opened into a chamber. To Mara's amazement, she found Luke sitting cross-legged on the floor on the far side, meditating, and very much unharmed.

"Luke?" Mara asked.

"He jerked, and opened his eyes. "Mara?" his voice was thick with confusion.

"Leia said you were in trouble. She asked me to come help you…" She stopped when she saw the confusion on his face. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

"No, I was actually here on a little vacation, so to speak."

"Callista?" Mara asked in a demanding tone.

Luke sprung up, then. "Callie's here?"

"Sorry, Mara. Leia asked me to do this."

"Asked you to do what?" Luke asked.

"So this was all just a little scheme to get me and Luke together?

"More or less." Callista smiled, turned toward the exit of the cave, and left.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" Luke asked.

Mara couldn't help the grin on her face. "It's a long story, Luke. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday."

Maybe this rescue mission hadn't been so bad after all. They did find Luke, by the way.

The End


End file.
